For unknown reasons, the TVs on the Ohio State football buses couldn’t pick up the Auburn-Alabama game until they reached Columbus.

The first play the Buckeyes saw was Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon stepping out of bounds with one second left. The second play sent them into delirium. Chris Davis’ 100-yard return of a missed field-goal attempt for a game-winning Auburn touchdown gave the Buckeyes a wide-open door for the Bowl Championship Series title game that until then seemed only cracked.

Alabama’s loss caused Ohio State to move to the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings released last night. The Buckeyes are .027 ahead of Auburn, a small-but-significant margin.

But Meyer knows that unless the Buckeyes take care of business against Michigan State on Saturday night in Indianapolis, that No. 2 BCS ranking, and that moment of elation on the buses, will be fleeting. So Meyer was quick to turn the page on Ohio State’s dramatic 42-41 victory over Michigan and in no mood to discuss the team’s BCS status at length.

“The bottom line is that Ohio State is not even in the conversation unless we can figure out how to move the ball against the No. 1 defense in America,” Meyer said.

Michigan State, which is 10th in the BCS standings, is the top statistical defense in the country in total defense (237.7 yards a game), rushing defense (64.8 yards a game) and pass defense efficiency. The Spartans’ only loss came to Notre Dame in September.

Meyer met with his team yesterday afternoon and said beforehand that he planned to devote all of “six to eight seconds” on the Buckeyes’ BCS standing. Then it would be back to business.

“This game, I’m sure it’s going to be a big-time atmosphere,” Meyer said. “My job is real simple: Make sure our team is focused. I’m sure Michigan State will say the same thing because there’s going to be a lot of buildup for this game.”

Right guard Marcus Hall and running back Dontre Wilson were ejected from the Michigan game for their role in a fight that broke out in the second quarter. Meyer said he hadn’t heard from the Big Ten about any additional discipline that the league might impose. Meyer planned to meet with athletic director Gene Smith to discuss the issue, but indicated he didn’t intend to suspend Hall or Wilson for the Big Ten title game.

“When (the issue is) fighting, the rules are clear that you lose a game, and they lost their game (against Michigan),” Meyer said. “The other nonsense, I’ll deal with that.”

That was a reference to the obscene gesture Hall made when exiting the field. Hall apologized on Twitter yesterday.

Another issue the Buckeyes must deal with is their defense. The progress that Ohio State had seemingly made in the second half of the season evaporated against Michigan. The Wolverines, whose offense had been stuck in neutral for a month, gained 603 yards, including 451 through the air.

“We have to get it fixed, and I have a lot of confidence we will,” Meyer said.

That Saturday’s opponent is Michigan State is fitting in a way. Last year’s 17-16 victory against the Spartans in East Lansing was considered the turning point of the Buckeyes’ 2012 season.

Spartans coach Mark Dantonio, a former Ohio State defensive coordinator, said he remembers that game as one of missed opportunities for Michigan State. Ohio State doesn’t want to look back on Saturday’s conference championship game the same way. The Buckeyes have been given the pass code to a shot at the national championship. They know they can’t fumble it away, especially by worrying about anything other than what is needed to defeat the Spartans.

“This is a very purpose-driven team and a very intelligent team,” Meyer said. “I don’t anticipate a problem (with focus). The biggest problem is that we’re facing an excellent team in Michigan State.”